(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dispenser for food seasoning. In particular, the present invention relates to a food seasoning shaker or dispenser having a cover portion partially separable from a container portion for holding food seasoning. The cover is preferably held on the container by a holding means comprising a pair of anchor rods and a connecting spring. The rods are mounted on respective annular rims on the inside walls of the cover and the container. The spring is connected between the anchor rods to bias the cover on the container as a closure for the container. The holding means enables the cover to be rotated around the longitudinal axis of the dispenser, relative to the container portion with the anchor rods rotating around the axis on the respective annular rims. The cover also has a perforated end wall for dispensing food seasoning such as salt and the like from the dispenser. When the food seasoning becomes depleted, the connecting spring enables the cover to be partially separated from the container for filling the dispenser with food seasoning. As used herein the term "food seasoning" relates to any ingredient such as salt, pepper or other spices that are added to food primarily for the savor that the seasoning imparts to the food.
(2) Prior Art
The prior art has described various types of containers as dispensers and shakers for dispensing food seasoning. Some of the prior art devices describe combination dispensers having a salt shaker and a pepper mill mounted together along a longitudinal axis of the dispenser. These prior art devices use a variety of methods for filling the dispensers with food seasoning. Illustrative of the prior art food seasoning dispensers are U.S. Pat. Nos. 595,481 to Jenatschke & Fischer; 1,264,134 to Quick; 2,974,887 to Grandinetti; 3,485,416 to Fohrman and U.S. Des. Pat. No. 237,576 to Cyren.
U.S Pat. No. 1,439,259 to Pasnik describes a salt dispenser having a valved bottom with a removeable cover. The shaker has a main salt receptacle having an opening at the bottom of the receptacle. A moveable plug or valve is mounted on a-central spindle and is seated in the bottom opening of the receptacle. A top portion of the spindle extends through an inverted cup, centrally mounted inside of a cover for the receptacle. A spring is mounted in the cup around the spindle and biases against a plunger mounted on an upper end of the spindle. Depressing the plunger causes the spindle to move the plug away from the receptacle to release salt from the bottom opening of the receptacle. The spring also enables the cover to be partially separated from the receptacle for filling the receptacle from the top. However, during filling, there is a tendency for the plug to move out of the receptacle and spill salt if the shaker is not completely empty.
What is needed is a unitary dispenser as a shaker for food seasoning such as salt and the like, which allows for filling the dispenser with food seasoning without having to align filler openings and without having to completely separate part of the dispenser. The problem with aligning filler openings is that a build-up of food seasoning accumulates between the rotatable members having the filler openings. This build-up eventually wears the rotatable members, causing them to become loose. Also, the filler openings are usually relatively small which makes it difficult to fill through the opening without spilling food seasoning. Those devices that require part of the dispenser to be disassembled for filling, risk having the disassembled parts becoming lost
Furthermore, the devices that use pins or rods in place to hold the cover on the container are not preferred. The stationary pins require the use of a tool, such as a punch, to drift the pins out of the cover and the container for accessing the pins for cleaning and the like. The present invention solves this problem by enabling the anchor rods to be unseated from the annular rims to remove the rods from the cover and the container.